News, Advice and Resources for Thoughtful Pet People
Lizards aren’t usually the first things you think of when someone says “Cute pet video!” But, this Uromastyx is definitely cute! She rolls over to get her tummy scratched. I love her waving her little arms!
xoJane has practical advice on how to How Not To Be A Dick At The Vet Hospital. Both of Claire Lower’s parents are vets and she’s heard lots of stories about difficult owners. Her father says, “Not all pet owners are crazy, but all crazy people have pets.” Your pets will be better off if you’re not one of those crazy people!
Claire’s mom has also written a piece on her own blog on being a good vet client. I was really struck by this piece of advice:
Be upfront with the doctor. If you only have $250 to spend let them know. The worst feeling is running blood tests and X-rays then finding out there is no more money to treat the pet. I have a saying.. “X-rays are not therapeutic”
Don’t let your embarrassment hurt your pet. Speak up and tell your vet what’s going on. Your pets are counting on you!
Life has been a bit hectic here lately—car problems, washing machine in pieces, replacing a porch, & food poisoning. Despite the craziness, our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy—the East Coast and the Caribbean, in particular. Every disaster reminds me of how important it is to be prepared. We live in an earthquake-prone area and we don’t have the advantage of getting any warning before something happens, but I would want to be prepared no matter where we lived.
Here are a number of posts on how you can prepare to take care of your pets in the event of an emergency. It doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t have to be expensive, so don’t feel overwhelmed. There is a wealth of information here and it’s the result of many hours of research consulting AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more. Please share these posts with anyone who has pets, but please also give credit to Pet Project and link to my blog.
I’m a big dork about Halloween. I really love it! Here’s a repost of a big collections of patterns you can use to make a jack-o-lantern for almost any pet.
I love carving something different each year on our pumpkins and, though I’m very fond of cats, I thought other pets should be represented too. Here are a variety of patterns for a bunch of different animals that should make some pretty nifty jack-o-lanterns. And, yes there are more cats. Just click on an image for a larger version to print or download.
And don’t miss these cat stencils and these dog breed stencils. Or you can make a stencil from your own photos of your pets.
Have a fun Halloween and keep your furred & feathered friends safe!
This is a big recall—over 110 varieties of food from AquaMax, LabDiet, & Mazurie. Boo! Many of the varieties included won’t affect you, unless you literally have a zoo. But, buried in there are foods for fish, birds, guinea pigs, mice, reptiles, etc. I don’t want to list just the foods I think might affect you, in case there is one for exotic pets that I’m not as familiar with. So take a good look at the list!
The recall is due to elevated vitamin D levels which can harm or even kill animals and fish if fed for extended periods. Signs your pet has been effected are lack of interest in eating, weight loss and joint stiffness.
Please note this food was widely distributed.